Shadows of Hyrule
by yamijenny
Summary: Ganon's body isn't even cold yet, and a new evil arrives. Will our hero be able to best this evil? ((Rewrite))
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

A new start

Cold fingers lay placidly over an unmoving chest. Three years passed since air greeted its chest. Candles gave illusion of his breathing as they flickered in the dim cavern. A false hope for an end to a painful nightmare. Upon a stone altar embellished with shimmering gems he lay awaiting the end of death. At any moment it seemed he would sit up and run a hand over Zilly's cheek, offering kind words of comfort and promises of better days. He enjoyed running his fingers through her hair and whispering tales of the world above into her ears as they sat beside a burning fireplace.

Defeated by someone perfectly equal, his punishment was eternal rest. Unfortunate for the person who only knew of his kindness. The world above deserved atonement for this crime.

A gloved hand stroked his cheek. It had been so long since this young woman had heard his voice. Her white hair was long and open, her red eyes looked gently at the body of her beloved.

"Big brother... I swear they will pay. I am finally ready. IT has appeared in the box so I know father has failed. It is time." She leaned down and kissed his cheek gently. She then turned and walked down the few steps to one of the pews where a box lay with the initials S.Z. on it. She opened it and within lay a golden triangle. She touched it, the triangle absorbed into her, leaving a triangular mark on the back of her hand. Taking the gloves off, she noticed that the glow was almost unnoticeable. Perfect. She picked up her golden handled sword and latched it to the belt that hugged her long red dress that barely reached to her bare feet. She looked out of the broken window at the world. Black sky, red sun, almost no grass, and water that was a sickly green. This would change. She would see to it.

Turning, she made a hand motion and a portal opened up revealing a flourishing land. Hyrule. She walked through the portal and for just a moment all those sensitive to evil could feel a new force enter that prosperous kingdom.

Fog surrounded the both of them as Zelda erected a barrier against the transpiration of time. She poured out her lamentations and promised to remedy her mistakes. Link listened as best he could in his fatigued state.

"Link… Give the Ocarina to me. As a sage, I can return you to your original time with it," Zelda spoke, her hand outstretched almost apologetically.

Looking down to the Ocarina, Link considered. Reversing time to his childhood hardly seemed like a great idea. Tampering with time at all had been strange. Even if he missed growing up, why go back? They were here now and despite her blunder, they were both alive. With Ganon sealed what more was there to fear. He was about to hand her the Ocarina when he suddenly stiffened.

Zelda's eyes widened and she shivered. Heaviness filled the air around them, breaking her focus and the cloud barrier around them ruptured. They stood in the fields outside the ruins of Hyrule Castle. "What was that?" she asked, still shivering.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure, but something doesn't feel right." Drawing his sword, he whistled loudly for Epona. "I promise to give you the Ocarina, but right now, I'm going to find out what this feeling is!" he called, mounting the rich red steed and riding off.

As he left, she clasped her hands together. "Please hurry," she whispered under her breath. How much higher would the consequences stack before she could undo what had been done?

The feeling disappeared as the young woman walked away. This land was so wonderful; so beautiful. Just like home should have been. That aside, she had to be careful. Mistakes her father made she would not repeat. There was plenty of time. She would get to know this world first. All she did know was she had to go to the temples. All in good time. Good things came to those who waited, and she had waited years.

Seeing a house in the distance, she began walking. As she approached, she noticed a long fence surrounded by a stone-dirt wall. This couldn't have been just a house. Walking around the wall, she came to a stop at an entrance and read the banner. 'Lon Lon Ranch'. Tilting her head curiously, she entered.

She blinked in surprise what were these... creatures? The barn door opened, causing the young woman to jump, and another woman exited the barn humming happily. The woman smiled and walked over.

"Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch. My name is Malon. What's your name?"

"Zilly." Came the answer. She was nervous, this was her first interaction with someone of this world.

Galloping drew near behind the girls and Link came to a sudden halt before them. Epona whinnied in protest, kicking her fore-hooves up, but settled moments after. Dismounting, Link walked over and immediately nodded to Malon. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice stern. He was tense; ready for battle. The taste of darkness no more than an hour earlier left him on edge. "Malon?" he asked eagerly, sparing Zilly a glance and trying to appear pleasant as he pursed his lips in anticipation.

Malon smiled at him looked a tad confused. "Of course I'm alright. 'Are you' is the question." Zilly looked at this man. The resemblance to her brother was striking. "Zilly this is Link, The Hero of Time." Malon announced. Zilly bowed.

"It is an honor to meet you." Zilly said calmly with a small smile.

The calmness of the two allowed him to relax. Nothing seemed amiss. He nodded and took Zilly's hand, planting a kiss on his thumb in greeting. "The honor is mine, Lady Zilly," he told her. Her proximity made the thoughts of darkness melt away as wind to an ominous cloud. He glanced to Malon. "Hero of Time is a little much, really," he grinned toothily. "Just call me Link, Malon. We're still friends." Returning his attention to Zilly, he asked, "Do you work here? There's no better place to raise horses." Realizing he still held her hand, he dropped it and looked away with a blush. "My apologies…" he said, glancing away even though his eyes wanted to wander back to the red orbs of her enticing gaze.

Malon's smile grew as she watched Link's interaction with Zilly. For once Link seemed to take more than just a subjective interest in someone. It was adorable.

"No, I don't, but I wouldn't mind working here. It's nice." Came Zilly's response as she ignored the apology. "I've been traveling and decided to see what this ranch had to offer." She looked at the horses again and saw the one different one. The rich red mane and matching tail fell brilliantly over its black body. This horse was far different than the others.

"Oh my... it's beautiful." Zilly said walking over to it.

"Oh be careful that one isn't very nice!" Malon warned. "That was Ganondorf's horse."

Turning his attention to the horse, Link looked down. Only an hour before, Ganondorf was alive. To think that his horse was here felt unreal. He fearlessly walked forward, following Zilly. Surely it was tame after its owner passed. Clapping a gentle hand on Zilly, he pushed her behind him.

Whatever came over him, he did not understand. Reaching up to the horse's maw, he gave it an apologetic gaze and muttered, "I'm sorry…"

The horse reared up before backing away looking almost angry at Link. Zilly stepped forward and put one hand out. "Hey easy calm down. No one is here to hurt you." The horse stared at her looking uneasy. Zilly pet its neck gently. "There we go." She smiled.

This time the horse complied and even whinnied contentedly at her as if its hostility were completely vanquished. "You two got it to calm down. That's great. Usually when we try to touch him he kicks or bites us. He did neither with you two." Malon complimented as she walked over.

"I would buy him, but I have no Rupees." Zilly said petting the horse.

"Well you could work here for him." Malon suggested. "We've done deals like this before. He does seem to like you." The horse nuzzled Zilly.

Rupees? Link had plenty at this rate. His hand was halfway in his coin pouch with a fistful of them when he realized it. Reluctantly, he dropped them and sighed. He couldn't imagine how Malon would look at him if he footed all the money right here and now for a horse once owned by an evil overlord to a random stranger. What was wrong with him? Glancing at the steed perplexedly, he tried to figure out what was going on in his head.

This woman gave him the same feeling he had around Princess Zelda. Compliance and immediate submissiveness. He'd do anything for Zelda. Around Zilly it was the same. He was willing to fall to a knee and present her with Ganon's horse. Why? Halfway through his thoughts, he rejoined Malon and Zilly, his face contorted with worry.

Zilly looked at Link. "Are you alright?" Malon looked worried.

"Link do you need some sleep?" Malon asked kindly. "You can take the spare bed upstairs if you need to."

Shaking his head, he said, "No. I'm alright. I think I could actually use a drink. I'll head back to Hyrule for now," he told them, waving as he left for Epona. He could return tomorrow and see if the taste from before manifested again.

Malon waved good bye. "Fare well Link. I hope to see you again." Zilly said bowing.

-  
Authors Note

I am rewriting Shadow of Hyrule with the help of my dear friend MayrisErin. I didn't like the flow of the story, so a rewrite was a good idea. I hope you all enjoy this, in my opinion, better version.


	2. Shadow effect

Chapter 2

Shadow effect

Zilly counted out the Rupees for buying Shadow, Ganondorf's horse. She was no longer wearing her red dress. She was wearing some of Malon's old cloths, which included shoes. She handed over the Rupees.

"Here." She smiled. It had been a week since she arrived in Hyrule. She had told Malon her home had been destroyed by one man, but said she had no idea who he was. More to the story, she revealed that she fled from her home recently. After hearing this, Malon was quick to offer her to stay at the ranch for as long as she needed.

Accepting the Rupees, she put them away after counting them again. "He's all yours Zilly." She smiled. "What do you intend to do now?"

There was a moment of hesitance before Zilly asked, "May I work here longer? I want to learn all I can about this wonderful place. About my new home." Zilly asked looking up at Malon.

Letting out a small laugh, she said, "You can keep working here, it's no problem."

Passing the two, Talon heard Zilly ask to stay longer and he turned swiftly, taking Zilly by the shoulders and hugging her. "Such a sweet, young lady!" he exclaimed, nearly crushing her before setting her down. "If only all the workers here were as generous and lovely." He glanced to Malon. "It's good to see that Malon has someone to talk to. I feared she would turn out to be a tomboy being surrounded by us cattle folk the rest of her life." He hummed as he skipped away.

Malon giggled. "It is nice to have another woman to talk to."

"I can say the same." Zilly smiled. This woman was nice. She would keep her alive, a friend was a good thing to have. This did nothing to lessen her plans though.

"So, think you're ready to help milk the cows?" Malon asked her.

"I can try." Came Zilly's response. Malon took her to the barn and started teaching her.

"See we have a delivery to make to the castle town. They are working on rebuilding the castle now."

News of Hyrule's reconstruction spread far and wide. Villages like Kakariko had sent as many supplies as they could. Caravans often traveled to and from Hyrule, dropping off tools and supplies. Lon Lon Ranch became a valued import of food for everyone. Kakariko had little time to spare in farming with how many villagers made profit cutting logs or mining stone. Whereas Lon Lon had a sudden spike in revenue from exports.

As the two made their way towards Hyrule, they were given the chance to witness one of the caravans now as it plodded along the road. Coal, stone, wood, and tools filled seven wagons to the brim as they crossed the wooden bridge over the river. Malon and Zilly reached the drawbridge at the same time as the caravan and the leader signaled the group to halt as their horses drew near.

Dismounting from his own horse was a tall, tanned man with bright red hair and amber eyes. He was shirtless and wore only black trousers. He stepped nimbly over the cool dew-filled grass and hailed the girls down. He smiled widely and waited.

Something about him drew Zilly's attention. It could have been his outlandish looks. Hardly anyone in these cooler parts of Hyrule had tanned skin and the shade of his hair was bright like ripe cherries.

Malon stopped the cart and smiled at him. "Good day, sir."

"G-good day." Zilly managed to stutter out blushing a bit.

He smirked and looked to Malon. "Heading up to the castle today?" he asked her, sparing her partner a glance. "Haven't seen her before." Having never introduced himself to Malon, they knew each other by face only. "More deliveries to make? It's good to see you have a companion. At least I don't have to offer to escort you anymore," he said jokingly, running a hand through his long hair.

Malon smiled. "Yes she joined the ranch about a week ago. But we wouldn't mind the escort, would we Zilly?"

"I-I wouldn't mind." Zilly stuttered, she was blushing. The only time she blushed like this was around her beloved. Then again it was difficult not to notice the handsome men in this land. Something she was still getting accustomed.

This man wasn't oblivious to the reaction he hand on the two. In fact, part of him, a very egotistical part, enjoyed the effect he had. Women were, after all, easily wound around the finger with small amounts of coaxing. He could imagine how they would squirm under his command and that excited him.

"It would be an honor, my dear ladies," he said softly, bowing to them both. Tugging his horse along, he motioned for them to follow in behind him and nestle in between the caravan and himself, leading the way into Hyrule. "Let us enter together."

After they started moving, the caravan followed. As they marched, he politely introduced himself as 'Leader', but gave Malon and Zilly permission to call him Gavin.

Malon followed his lead easily. Zilly closed her eyes to regain her senses. She wanted to remain faithful to the one who waited for her to bring him back. Though her mind did wander to what it would be like for this man to do some— No! She actually shook her head to get those thoughts to leave her. Malon patted her shoulder.

"You okay, Zilly?" Zilly nodded taking a deep breath.

"Yes... thank you, Malon."

Once, Gavin glanced back to see what they were speaking of and then turned his attention back to the front. He couldn't resist smirking. Zilly, as Malon addressed her, looked like a Gerudo with her tanned skin. But this was just speculation. She had very few features with face shape and build. He tried to fathom what she was, but decided instead to ask her when he could have a moment.

They reached the castle and he handed the reigns of his brown horse to a stableman before instructing the caravan to the side of the castle to make the delivery. There were enough men to unload the supplies today. Some could afford to break their backs like he did every other day.

Pulling a cloak from the bag of his horse, he wrapped it around his body and slung part of it over his chest. A make-shift shirt. On the way out, he swiped a pair of black knee-high boots and pulled them over his feet with two steps. A little snug, but fitting regardless.

He walked briskly to where Zilly and Malon where making their way and then hushed his footsteps, pretending as if he'd been there all along and hoping to get an earful of their juicy gossip.

"You don't look alright." Malon was still worried.

"It's just… He makes me feel strange. I'm not used to it is all. Not from someone I don't know." Zilly said carefully.

"Ah, I understand. It's alright I think all the women around here feel that way when he is around. He's basically asking for it without a shirt and all." Malon giggled. Zilly looked and saw him.

"Following us?" She asked calmly, thankfully he was wearing something of a shirt now.

"I did say I would escort you to the castle, did I not?" he asked, shrugging innocently. "But… if you want me to go…" Stopping, he turned on his heel and started slowly back down the path.

"You can stay if you want. I just get nervous when people are behind me. I apologize."

Malon smiled when Zilly apologized. "Zilly was a traveler and learned not to let people stand behind her. Besides it's a tad embarrassing when the person you are talking about is right behind you and you forgot."

He chuckled and turned back, starting to walk with them again. "You were talking about me? I'm flattered! What do you think of me then? I heard next to nothing, really." Which was partially true, but not all the way.

"Well we think you are attractive." Malon started.

"But we also know you are asking for attention when one built like you does not wear a shirt." Zilly continued with a small smirk.

"Asking for attention?" he snickered. "Actually, I find shirts get in the way of my work. I'm a little hurt that I slave away in the day and you only believe I'm 'asking for it'. That's a true ass of an assumption."

Malon giggled. "I see your point."

"Well at least he put a cloak on." Zilly smiled.

"Yes now we can actually focus."

"I am sorry for my assumption."

Gavin rolled his eyes. "Forgiven. For now." There was a playful tone in voice. Nothing more was said from him as they approached the archway entrance. Several guards approached and verified their purpose before allowing them entrance.

They gave Gavin a series of strange looks as he passed. Some murmured how he looked like someone else, but both refused to speak of the overlord's name. Grateful for the cloak over his arm, Gavin clenched his fist firmly. He was expressionless as he passed and said nothing in acknowledging their words.

He helped distribute the goods with Zilly and Malon as a Good Samaritan does. Exchanging news of the new tools and supplies and hearing about the progress of reconstruction seemed to brighten his spirits.

A tall, robust man dressed from head to toe in blue and white cloth armor watched the three carefully. New faces… and one old. Malon. But who were the other two? Tanned skin? Gerudo. Though it was rude to judge for Hyrule was open to all and little could be said for this same observer had tanned skin as well. Red, scrutinizing eyes watched between them both beneath strands of blond hair.

Zilly worked hard and spoke little. When they were done however she looked at them smiling. "I've never worked this much, but I enjoy it. See back home big brother provided for me."

"So the ranch is the first time you worked?"

"It is. First time I saw horses and cows as well."

Malon blinked in surprise.

When the job was finished, Gavin was nowhere to be found and the caravans were on their way out. As the two were readying to head out, the voices of Link and Zelda could be heard from a hallway.

"Since the darkness hasn't revealed itself, I feel I can send you back, Link," Zelda said calmly.

He growled. "You don't understand! I felt it! Clear as day! There's something out there, Zelda and I'm not about to sacrifice the future of Hyrule against my better judgment."

A moment of silence passed. "As long as you remain here you are breaking the sequence of time as we speak," she protested darkly.

Shaking his head, he threw his arms in the air and began pacing. "Stubborn about this, aren't you? Look, I felt a shift in the elements right after Ganondorf was sealed! Haven't you spoken to the other sages? Maybe they know something!"

"The other sages are busy," she said between clenched teeth. "I cannot bother them over such trivial matters such as a change in the wind."

"Isn't that how a seed is planted? It's small, almost unnoticeable. Time goes by and you don't notice the change. It sprouts roots underground where you can't see it and then buds to the surface. Only when it's a large tree do you notice the change and you wonder 'when did that get there?' and by then it's too late. The roots are too deep and cannot be removed. Darkness works the same. It roots deep and is noticed when things are at their worst. When it's irreversible!"

Placing her hand to her forehead, she sighed. "Maybe you're the anomaly," she muttered.

"What!?" he hissed, slamming a fist into the wall.

"Because you're still here. If I had sent you back, maybe it wouldn't have happened. It could be that when Ganondorf was sealed and you were still here that something slipped past the veil of darkness into light. Maybe the darkness is within you."

"But I defeated Shadow Link years ago! That's not possible!"

"Only one way to find out…" she sighed, drawing a blade from her side and stepping into a stance. "Come at me," she said coolly.

He blinked. "Fight you? Here? Now?"

Her normally soft blue gaze was cold like the winds of Zora's fountain. Kindness fled her face and she glared at him, challenging him with her gaze.

Taking a step back, he shook his head. "I don't want to fight you."

"Consider this a judgment duel," she offered, her tone betraying her expression.

He looked between her and the guards. To Malon. And then Zilly. When his eyes met hers, he felt a dark desire coming over him. His hand shook as he drew the Master Sword, clutching it firmly betwixt his fingers.


	3. Beloved return

Chapter 3

Beloved return

Zilly looked between the two, a strange feeling of looking into a mirror and seeing something else came over her when she observed this Zelda. What was stranger to her was that Zelda thought Link had a problem. As long as she knew Link he reminded her of her long lost beloved. The two were going to fight, but over what she couldn't comprehend. Darkness? Her kingdom was filled with darkness. There was a noticeable change in Link when he looked to her.

Malon was shaking. "What's going on?"

Link observed the rapier Zelda clutched in her hand. There wasn't anything special about it, but the way she held it made him uneasy. Even though he never knew Zelda to be practiced in the art of war unless under the guise of Sheik, something about her fighting as herself shook him.

He waited, watching her movements as if she were a cat ready to pounce. He never fought her before and not knowing what to expect, he braced himself. Her strength could amount to more than Ganandorf's for all he knew.

Taking a step forward, Zelda flourished her weapon before her and was suddenly inches from Link, the cold metal of the rapier pressed against the pulse of his neck. "The Ocarina, Link," she said coldly. "Hand it over and I will correct that which has been tainted."

He narrowed his eyes at her, his breathing coming out in hot puffs. She was incredibly close and her anger offset his fighting spirit. Shaking his head, he brought the Master Sword between his neck and the rapier, pushing her off. Despite the heaviness of her will, she was quite light. Catching her footing several paces away, she sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this…"

Jumping into the air, Zelda was obscured by a bright light. When she landed, the others could see the blue and white armored man from before. He tightened the wraps on his wrists.

"Sheik!" Link called, taking another step back.

Pulling out six needlepoint knives, Sheik spread them between his fingers and stepped into a back-heavy stance. Nothing more needed to be said.

The hall danced with light reflecting off metal. Blades and knives alike spun between them. For those trained in combat, it was easy to see the victor. Others would be dazzled by the display if they could see through the swiftness of their attacks.

A door opened across the hall and a short, white-haired woman entered the room. Rolling her eyes, she jumped into the fray, splitting the two to opposite sides of the room. Both landed harshly against the walls and the woman landed gracefully on her feet, dusting her hands. "Enough, you two!" she called, red eyes glaring both of them down. "We've no time for either of your shenanigans!"

Link winced as he sat up, rubbing his head. His back ached in protest as he stood. Looking to the woman, he soured and looked away. "Guess your savior is here, Zelda!" he called venomously to her.

Sheik rose to his feet as well with much less effort. He said nothing to the comment and looked away in shame.

"Savior?" the woman asked, stepping forward to smack Link across the cheek. "How dare you hurt him!? You know as well as I that that man is the guise of Her Highness, Princess Zelda! And yet you treat her like this!?" She looked back to Sheik and sighed. "I know about the foul darkness that has seeped into our lands and masked itself well away from our senses. But this is no time for your theatrics!"

Shaking away the guise, Zelda once again stood before them. "Sorry, Impa. I don't know what came over me."

Link, on the other hand, was far from apologetic. Something about Zelda bothered him. He wanted to drive the Master Sword through her beating heart and he couldn't comprehend why.

Malon clung to Zilly during the fight shaking and afraid. Zilly knew she was this darkness they spoke of But showed none of that recognition. Zilly held Malon, and when the stranger separated them Zilly patted Malons shoulder. "It's alright, they stopped."

"H-how could our princess say Link was the problem? After all he has done for Hyrule... Why did they have to fight?"

"It's alright Malon. I think some time apart would do these two some good. The princess is stressed, Link is stressed. Both need a Vacation."

Once the two were successfully separated, Impa walked over and apologized to Malon and Zilly. "That wasn't something either of you needed to see. On your way home, I suggest caution. We're searching for the anomaly and if either of you are caught up in it, Princess Zelda would feel responsible. As for Link, if he bothers you, just keep your distance."

She escorted the two out of the castle and bid them farewell. Link followed shortly after, not saying a word to Impa and caught up with Malon and Zilly. "I… umm… I'm sorry about that display. Between Zelda and I," he clarified.

Malon hugged him. "I just didn't understand why... you've done so much good for everyone, how could the princess even think it was you."

"As I said Malon, it was probably stress. Things are alright now and that's what truly matters." Zilly said calmly putting one hand on Malon's shoulder and one and Links. "Are you injured Link? I can care for your wounds."

Link shook his head. "I'm fine…" Sheik left a number of bruises, but made no attempt to actually kill him. With all the superstition going around, it wasn't fair that no one acknowledged that Ganondorf had been defeated at his hand. At least, Zelda didn't seem to remember. Whatever was going on in her head, he didn't understand. "Look, I'll walk you both to Lon Lon Ranch, but after that I'm going to venture again. I'm fine, I promise," he said looking to Zilly.

Zilly shook her head. "You will run yourself ragged at this rate. You need to take a break."

"She's right you know." Came Navi's voice as she poked out of Links hat.

The blue fairy caught his attention as it started whirring in front of him. "I can't. It's best to root out evil before it's too late. I know that firsthand." He waved her away. "I'll figure something out. If I could find the source where the darkness first revealed itself, this would be easier. But maybe you're right. I'll take some time and head back home. Maybe my old friends can clear my head."

Zilly smiled. "Good. You've done so much for this land. You deserve a break." She kissed his cheek. Her plan? To go to the water temple, where her beloved brother had been slain.

His face reddened a little at the gesture and he spared Malon an embarrassed smile. "I-I'll be off then!" he shouted excitedly as he called Epona. While riding away, all he could think of was how almost every young lady he met seemed to be smitten with him. Maybe he should look in the mirror to find out why.

Malon looked at Zilly as he rode away. "Speaking of taking breaks, you could use a few days off yourself. You're not used to working this much."

"Well alright I guess. What about you?"

"Oh don't worry about me, Zilly. I don't need to go anywhere. Being in the ranch relaxes me."

She nodded. "Alright then. I'll be back in a few days." Malon smiled and waved. Zilly got on her horse, and rode off toward Lake Hylia. Shadow jumped the fences without any problem and rode her to the water's edge. She slid off Shadow and looked at the water. It was quite deep but should prove no problem for her. She went into the water and swam to right above the entrance. She swam down holding her breath as long as she could and just barely got through. Gasping for breath as she reached the surface, Zilly hurried to find the room where her brother was slain, hoping to find his spirit there.

Shallow water filled the bottom floor of the large room; the old arena of Link and his counterpart. As peaceful as it was, there was only the aura of death here. It was quiet except for her feet dragging through the water. In the center was a tree barren of leaves and hardly even there. Beside that tree was a strange shadow lingering in the water. The familiar aura of her beloved hung in the air. _'Zilly, why are you here? What has happened?'_ An echo of a voice rang in the silence, reaching her ears clearly.

Tears welled in her eyes at the sound of his voice. "Oh, big brother, I have missed your voice. Father has failed and has fallen. You have fallen as well. However I have your body and I can bring you back. It seems my presence has an effect on the Hero of Time." She walked over to him.

' _Hero of Time… Feh! Link! My old nemesis! You said 'father has fallen'. Hmm… this could be good actually. If I'm right, father was only sealed away by those elusive Sages! It should be child's play to set him free again. This world is better than ours. Let us take it. I will instruct you on how to do this, Zilly,'_ the voice told her, a shadowy hand brushing her cheek. She could see an outline of the man who lay in the cavern on the altar.

She smiled. "A pox on father. You and I can do this. We can take this world over. The princess thinks Link is the problem. First though, let us bring you back to life my beloved brother."

The shadow smirked. _'How convenient. Yes! Life would be most desirable! Living out my days in this watery tomb has become tedious.'_ He felt father deserved to see the world he tried to create for them. Perhaps when the Sages showed themselves they would free father in the process of their elimination.

Zilly opened another portal and retrieved the body, preserved with magic. She set it down carefully on the small island beside the tree. "Stand beside your body. With the Triforce of Power I will bring you back to life." She concentrated the power and flung it at Shadow Link's body.

He did as instructed and neared the corpse, smirking as he looked himself over. She worked hard to keep him the way he was before death. White hair, tanned skin. Everything was as it was.

The Triforce of Power drew in the spirit of the fallen man. Zilly knelt down next to the body waiting for him to open his eyes.

From standing beside her to feeling the weight of flesh and blood, he realized how hard it was to take his first breath. He managed a cough, choking up the remnants of magic that kept his lungs from decay, feeling the burn of blood through his cold, shivering fingers that once again filled with warmth. His head ached as blood pulsed through him.

The memories of death added to his conscience as he reconnected to this shell. Drawing in a strong breath, he sat up slowly, hand touching his forehead for the first time in years. Even raising his arm took effort and he was glad she didn't allow his muscles to atrophy. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light once again. His pupils went from dilation to narrow from the light of the room and he waited for the haze to leave his vision.

Kneeling forward, he cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face, letting the water chill the hot blood his heart pumped freely. He stood and looked to Zilly, smirking lustfully before drawing his twin forward with a hand around her waist and planting a deep kiss on her lips.


End file.
